(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a skateboard truck and, more particularly, to a skateboard truck having an offset axle design.
(2) Description of Related Art
The present application relates to a skateboard truck with an offset axle design. Offset axle geometry has been used primarily in slalom racing because of the sharp turning radius enabled by the special juxtaposition of the axle to the kingpin. This design is almost always referred to as a ‘split-axle’ truck. In order to achieve this configuration (i.e., ‘split-axle’), the axle cannot pass through the kingpin, so it is split into two smaller axles on either side of the hangar, thus weakening the truck. Further weakening the truck is the fact that the axle halves are mechanically fastened into a machined hole rather than cast into it. The demands placed on the truck by old school specialty slalom skating do not typically exceed the strength of this hangar. However, for more aggressive styles of street skating, this design is simply not strong enough. One of the reasons this style of truck has never reached mainstream success is because breakage was so common in early split-axle designs that the design was much maligned and duly phased out.
For many years, mainstream skating went in a different direction, focusing on the airborne possibilities of the Ollie. As a result, trucks got tighter to facilitate landing, and the properties of the split-axle design became irrelevant. However, there is now a growing movement towards blending elements of current skating with the old-school surf influences into a new hybrid style, mirroring the evolution of surfing and its converse introduction of skate moves back to the wave. While there is now a need for the turning properties of the split-axle truck, the existing structural weaknesses still prevent its' reintroduction into the market.
Thus, a continuing need exists for a split-axle style truck without the structural deficiencies present in the prior art.